Additional ntl modem - Help Please

[cdrew]

I have recently moved to a house with NTL cable broadband service with 2 live sockets (one (recently discovered) upstairs and one downstairs).

I have an NTL-provided modem for the downstairs room - but wish to access Internet from upstairs also. I have acquired a second hand NTL cable modem but cannot get the system to work.

Computers show existence of a broadband connection - but will not connect me to any ISPs. NTL technical service are obstructive rather than helpful. The problem seems to be with IP numbers and MAC numbers.

What do I have to do?

[Paul K]

Erm pay a second subscription for the internet as that is the only way to have 2 SACMs working in the same house. Using a box off the internet is not a good idea as the box will not be known to NTL and therefor will not work 9 times out of 10.
Pay for a wireless or wired router and you can have more than one pc attached to your BB feed at any given time legally as you don't need a second SACM to share the same feed in a house.
If you don't mind wires trailing around the house you can just share the connection between the PCs with an ethernet cable and NICs. Routers are easier to use and wireless routers remove the need for cables all over the place.
You are going about sharing your connection the wrong way at the moment and NTL will never support or help set up an unofficial SACM that they have not supplied.
Edit:
If you want to share your connection within your home then feel free to read through this thread
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...434#post594434
as it explains how to do it. If you need more info then try a search for "wireless router" or "router" within the forum search system as we have a number of threads about it. Basically though you will probably never get that second SACM working on your connection and you have wasted money buying it
Welcome to the forum by the way

Originally Posted by cdrew

Computers show existence of a broadband connection - but will not connect me to any ISPs. NTL technical service are obstructive rather than helpful. The problem seems to be with IP numbers and MAC numbers.

What do I have to do?

Pay for the service on the second modem. Simple as that. I would be obstructive as well if you asked me to connect a modem that does not have a valid paid for account attached to it.

[MovedGoalPosts]

thread split

As far as ntl are concerned, you are currently paying for only one cable modem service. If you want another you need to be paying ntl for that extra one, in which case ntl would supply the extra modem and pieces needed. However ntl rarely allow to modems on one account for the same property.

You cannot buy ntl Set Top Boxes, or Modems from anybody, legally. They are only now hired by ntl as part of a current service agreement, and if your contract ends, such things should return to ntl. Anybody who claims to be able to sell ntl modems or STBs is doing something naughty.

Your house may be wired with two cable connections, but possibly a previous occupier had a modem on one Set Top Box on another.

Your best bet is to set up a home network, perhaps with a router.

[patrickp]

Originally Posted by Rob C

Your house may be wired with two cable connections, but possibly a previous occupier had a modem on one Set Top Box on another.

AFAIK you _can_ have two STBs, although I don't know if you can have an internet connection on both. Maybe that's what the two sockets were for.

[Halcyon]

As Rob C has stated, you cant buy additional modems. They have to be provided and registered through NTL.
You may find it is cheaper in buying a router than paying for 2 seperate modem setups.
Routers are very cheap these days.

[mmm]

Originally Posted by Rob C

thread split
...
You cannot buy ntl Set Top Boxes, or Modems from anybody, legally. They are only now hired by ntl as part of a current service agreement, and if your contract ends, such things should return to ntl. Anybody who claims to be able to sell ntl modems or STBs is doing something naughty.
...

As cable modems are so cheap (10 quid to ntl?) it appears to be official policy not to collect them when people move/ cancel. So who do they belong to then?

If there are 2 million cable modems in use and 5% churn per annum that's a 100,000 extra ntl cable modems loose in the wild every year. It therefore no wonder there are dozens for sale on ebay at any one time - and if anyone buys one he finds it is useless so puts it back on ebay to pass on to someone else!